Checkrein-securer.



No. 680,946. Patented Aug. 20, IQOI/ L. 0. SMELL. GHECKREIN SIEGUREB.

(Application filed Jan.

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LORD O. SNELL, OF ATHENS, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHECKREEN -SECURER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,946, dated August 20, 1901. Application filed January 9, 1901. Serial No, 42,685. (No model.l

To all whom it may concern.-

lle it known that I, LORD O. SNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Athens, in the county of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in checlehooks or devices for securing the checkreins of harnesses.

The objects of the invention are to provide improved means for attaching the checkrein to the ordinary check-hook in such manner as to absolutely prevent the checkrein from becoming detached from the check-hook under all conditions of use, and, further, to provide a simple and inexpensive device for this purpose which shall not be liable to get out of order or become inoperative in retaining the checkrein in place.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of this description.

In said drawings, in which like parts in the several views are designated by similar letters of reference, Figure 1 represents in side elevation the upper portion of a gig-saddle,showing a check-hook with an attaching device embodying my invention secured thereto, the said device being represented as attached or fastened to the checkrein as ordinarily used, the dotted lines indicating the manner of connecting said device to the check-hook. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the attaching device applied to the check-hook. Fig. 3 is a side view of the attaching device removed from the check-hook and without the cover ordinarily used thereon. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the attaching or fastening device detached, and Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of the checkhook detached.

The letter A in the drawings may denote a portion of a harness or gig saddle; B, the check-hook, which may be secured to the saddle-tree in the usual manner; C, the checkrein, and D the attaching device, secured to the end of the checkrein and connecting the same with the check-hook.

The check-hook B, which may be of the usual or any desired shape, is formed at its forward portion with an elongated opening or slot Z) to receive a finger or tongue on the attaching device D, which in the form shown consists, essentially, of a pair of links or ringlike parts (1 d, hinged or pivotally connected together, so that one part may be passed or hooked over the check-hook in the usual manner, while the other part is secured to the checkrein and is provided with a tongue or finger d of rigid material, extending back over and across the link or ring portion (1 to adapt it to enter and project through the slot 1) in the check-hook above the said link to prevent the latter from rising and thus becoming unhooked or detached, the construction also permitting a pivotal movement of the said tongue relatively to the link, or vice versa, for a purpose which will presently appear. In the form shown the tongue d is formed integrally with and projects back from the rear portion or side of the ring portion (1, while the loop or link cl is pivotally connected to the said rearward side or portion of the part d, so as to lie under the said tongue (1 and the whole device is preferably covered with leather or other suitable material except the tongue 622, which projects through a suitable opening in the covering. The covering not only presents a neater appearance, but tends to confine the loop cl tightly on the checkhook, prevents rattling, gives suitable stiffness to the device, and tends to keep the loop d tight up against the tongue or finger 01 while at the same time permitting a slight degree of movement of the said loop relative to the tongue.

In use, the checkrein being properly se= cured to the ring portion (Z, the loop d is hooked or passed over the check-hook in the usual manner, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and when the said loop has been pushed down on the hook beyond the slot 1) the tongue d immediately enters said slot and the device assumes the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the bearing of the tongue 01 against the upper end of the slot I) absolutely preventing the checkrein-attaching device from becoming unfastened from the hook. To uncheck the horse, the attaching device is forced down on the hook until the rear end of the tongue (1 can be made to clear the upper end of the slot 1), whereupon by virtue of the slight degree of movement relative to the tongue of which the loop cl is capable the tongue can be forced out of the slot and the attaching device then raised and detached from the hook in the usual manner. It will be apparent, of course, that the upper end of the slot 19 must be at a suitable point to prevent the tongue from rising out of the slot and that said slot must-be of sufficient length to permit suitable manipulation of the tongue in inserting or withdrawing the same. The rearward end of the tongue and the upper and lower ends of the slot may be beveled or rounded, as shown in the drawings, to facilitate manipulation of the device.

I thus provide a very simple and efiicient device whereby the checkrein is absolutely prevented from becoming unhooked, while the device is comparatively inexpensive, convenient in use, and not liable to get out of order or become inoperative. It will be understood, of course, that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and of other uses than that herein specified and that the form and shape of the pivotally-connected parts of the attaching device, as well as the mode of hinging or connecting the same, may be varied and other forms of check-hooks may be used therewith without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, a ring is not essential to the form of either of the hinged parts or sections. Hence I do not desire to be restricted to the specific form and arrangement of parts herein described and shown.

Strictly speaking, the tongue is a retainer for the attaching device for the checkrein, and it will be seen that in virtue of the elongated form of the opening in the hook the said tongue or retainer is permitted to slide up and down between the sides of said opening in conformity with the movements of the head of the animal on which employed, the connection between said hook and checkrein, however, being at all times preserved.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

end wall of the opening, substantially as described.

2. In a checkrein attaching device, the combination with a hook having an elongated opening in the bend thereof, and the checkrein, of an eye having a loosely-connected member engaging the hook, and a rigid member projecting through the opening above the loose member and adapted to abut the upper end wall of said opening, said loose and rigid members having a pivotal movement relative to each other, substantially as described.

8. A checkrein-attaching device comprising a relatively stationary member for attachment to a saddle and having a slot therein, a second member consisting of two pivotally-connected parts, one of which is adapted to slip over or embrace said stationary memher and the other to connect with the checkrein, and a tongue projecting from the lastmentioned part through said slot and overlying the part which embraces said stationary member, whereby disconnection of said members is prevented in use, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the check-hook having an opening in its forward portion, of the checkrein-attaching device consisting of an eye for attachment to a checkrein having a tongue extending beyond its rearward portion, and an eye pivotally secured to said first-mentioned eye and located beneath said tongue; the latter eye engaging said checkhook, and the tongue projecting through the opening therein, and the said eyes being covered with a yieldable stiffening material constructed to permit a slight movement of the tongue relative to the hook-engaging eye; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LORD O. SNELL.

Witnesses:

J. T. CORBIN, P. E. DECKER. 

